Located in the Palo Alto Courthouse, the Palo Alto Branch Office of the Santa Clara County District Attorney prosecutes crimes that occur in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Stanford. The Office is currently under the direction of Deputy District Attorney Javier Alcala.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is the law enforcement agency for all of Santa Clara County, covering 15 cities and 1.7 million residents. It is the largest prosecuting agency in Northern California, handling over 45,000 cases a year with a staff of nearly 500 people.
The DA's office is located in Room 210 of the county court building, also known as the county administrative center. In addition to prosecuting cases, the office performs crisis and emergency services for crime victims; furnishes information on courts and case status; helps victims find property that has been used as evidence; helps victims file Victim Impact Statements to receive restitution and intercedes with employers to help them understand why residents may be away from work in court.